Chapter 97
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Keep Going
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As they walked along the massive waterway, the pure white city walls gradually drew closer.
Mickey raised her hand at the flashing searchlights atop them.
"Let's proceed carefully from here."
It was obvious things would get messy if the guards on the wall spotted them unnecessarily.
They crouched low and advanced, soon spotting a massive aqueduct opening leading inside the walls.
And right in front of it were CCTVs.
"Let me just check the time for a sec."
Mickey glanced at the time on her retinal display, cleared her throat softly, and fitted the helmet tucked under her arm onto her head.
"...Pfft."
Walter swallowed a laugh that nearly escaped him.
She was dressed lightly in short shorts, a tank top, and a cardigan below, yet wearing a bulky protective suit helmet on top. What a sight.
"...I know I look ridiculous right now, so could you please stay quiet?"
Kyle waved it off with a face that said he didn't care—just hurry up and move.
"No, no. You pull it off. Don't sweat it."
"Is that really a compliment you drop right now?"
A sharp glare from Mickey flew past the chuckling Walter and stabbed right at him.
But it lasted only a moment before she grumbled and turned away.
"...You're cute, so it works."
"Heh, bullshit."
"Shut it, you old fart who looks just like every other old fart."
"You little milk-scented brat wanna die for real?"
Kyle smiled at them and said,
"If you don't hurry, you might both end up dying to me."
"Let's get moving, old man."
"Was just about to say the same."
As they approached the CCTV, the camera whirred into motion with a whine, followed by a voice.
[Stop. Stop. Hands up.]
Clank! A massive Gatling gun descended from below the camera.
[Approach any further and we open fire.]
Mickey tapped her helmet toward the camera and said,
"Mackerel."
[......?]
"Mackerel. Mackerel."
The red light blinked silently.
The camera scanned her ridiculous getup and a disbelieving voice leaked out.
[That helmet... You're Mickey Rose, aren't you?]
"Yeah, you recognize me?"
[No. Why the hell are you only wearing the helmet from a protective suit...? Never mind. Fine.]
Clunk! The metal grate blocking the aqueduct began rising upward.
[Get in before anyone sees you.]
Beep! The speaker cut off, and Mickey turned back.
"All good?"
"Damn, you really wander around in just the protective suit helmet? How'd they even recognize you?"
"Ahem..."
She'd roamed like that just fine until now, but now she seemed embarrassed and quickly removed the helmet.
"Just let it slide, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah."
Kyle pointed at her helmet and asked,
"So, no need for that anymore?"
"Uh... no."
Mickey scratched her temple lightly, then casually shoved the helmet at Walter as she answered.
"Pretty much, think of that helmet as my ID down here..."
Walter tossed the helmet back at her.
"If it's your ID, you wear it, you spiky-haired brat."
"Eek?!"
Heading up through the underground outpost facility beneath the walls.
"...So this is what you look like?"
"......"
The guard officer who'd let them in eyed Mickey curiously.
"Huh. You look way more normal than I thought."
"Haha..."
"Why've you been hiding your face all this time?"
"Well..."
Mickey deflected.
"...I had my reasons."
"Yeah?"
Walter, his face hidden under the hood of a robe they'd prepared in advance, snorted derisively.
"Reasons my ass."
A sharp glare zapped toward him from the front.
"A-anyway. Anything I need to know before heading out?"
"Anything you need to know."
The officer guiding them let out a small sigh.
"One thing, yeah."
"What is it?"
"Lately, there's been a spike in disappearances."
"Disappearances?"
He nodded.
"Dunno why, but it's mostly targeting surface mercs or travelers passing through briefly, not locals. Seems like they're going after folks from the drier upper layers. Anyway, watch yourselves. You could be targets too."
Mickey and Kyle exchanged glances.
Probably tied to the bloodkin story from Skebanja.
'No way they're kidnapping right in the city to prepare sacrifices.'
And the main targets were mercs who could vanish without raising alarms.
'This place looks shiny on the surface, but it's rotting worse than up top.'
No wonder it had a rep even in the 8th Special District.
"Thanks. Anything else?"
"Nah, but..."
They soon reached the facility exit.
Before opening the door, the officer scanned Mickey up and down with a sleazy grin.
"Haven't seen you like this in ages. How about a drink tonight? You've never hung with folks down here 'cause of that suit, right?"
"Uh... but what about these guys?"
Mickey pointed at Walter and Kyle.
"I've got companions this time. No time for that."
"Aw, come on. They're grown men, not kids you gotta babysit all day..."
Just then, his eyes met Kyle's, and he felt his breath catch.
A chilling glint pierced from the dark hood.
"?!"
A shiver raced up his spine.
He swallowed hard, thinking,
'W-what the hell... is this guy...'
Instinct told him.
This man.
'No ordinary merc...!'
Then Kyle's brow furrowed like he was saying, What're you looking at?
'H-heek...!'
Taking it as a "Scram" signal, the officer flung the door open and changed tack.
"R-right, uh... Oh! Yeah! I just remembered! Got an appointment today. Y-yeah. Next time. Drinks next time."
"?"
"...??"
Kyle and his group blinked at the sudden shift.
Mickey nodded, figuring good riddance.
"Sure, see you next time."
"Y-yeah. You know? Just keep going up and you'll be out."
"Got it."
"Th-then, catch you later."
As they left, the officer slammed the door shut, face pale as he muttered,
"Fuck me. What was that?"
Was this how prey felt with a predator inches away?
"...They look like surface folk."
He clicked his tongue softly.
"Some seriously bad news just came down here."
And intuitively, he sensed.
That unordinary man would stir up this stagnant lower layer.
His gut for this stuff was sharp; he couldn't ignore the feeling.
"Ugh, shit. Where's that Mickey chick usually hole up?"
Recalling the gaze, he shuddered and turned away.
"Better steer clear of that area for a while."
'Why'd he freak like that?'
Kyle glanced back, tilting his head.
He'd just used [Heavenly Vision], but the officer's face had drained white.
'Is [Heavenly Vision] getting too strong, starting to show when I use it?'
He sighed softly.
'That's a problem.'
"Th-thanks."
The sudden gratitude made Kyle blink.
"For what?"
"You know, just now."
Mickey cleared her throat.
"Did you do something?"
"......"
Admit it or deny?
Her awkward smile took his silence as confirmation.
"I was getting annoyed anyway."
The blatant come-on was awkward since they were technically colleagues, but hard to shut down outright.
But he'd backed off scared for some reason.
"...Doesn't add up."
Walter crossed his arms, scanning Mickey head to toe.
"What about this half-grown milk-scented brat screams 'woman'?"
She flipped him the bird with a smile.
"Haha, eat this."
"You eat this."
"Sigh."
Passing the bickering pair, they climbed the concrete stairs, and the neutral zone streets finally appeared.
At a glance, it looked no different from a surface night street.
The difference? Streetlights towering high like umbrellas, blasting intense UV rays.
"It's dark here 365 days a year."
Mickey led the way.
"Civilian streets use those lights to mark day and night."
"And at night, they shut off and regular lamps come on."
Right on cue, a eerie alert chimed, and the UV lights winked out one by one.
Walter shrugged.
"Means it's evening now."
Of course, this was just for Vyasa Sector streets like these, for civilians.
"Neutral zone divides strictly by residence height—class lines."
He pointed to domed buildings up high.
"Kshatriya Sector for execs and bigwigs, or Brahmin Sector? Totally different."
Those used city-wide holograms to mimic surface daylight.
"Ho."
Hologram daylight, huh.
'Kinda wanna check it out sometime.'
Walter called to Mickey ahead.
"So, where to now?"
"Got a broker nearby I set up with."
She glanced back.
"Does lodging too. Figure we crash there tonight, gather some intel. Sound good?"
"What do you think?"
Walter asked, and Kyle nodded.
"Yeah, let's do that."
No stamina issues for him, but the other two needed it—and honestly, he wanted a shower.
They ducked into a back alley and soon found a rundown tavern.
Bar downstairs, rooms up top, apparently.
But it looked locked tight. Mickey hit the bell at the entrance CCTV.
Beeeep! An unpleasant screech.
Soon, the intercom crackled.
[Where've you been?]
"Bought some salt at the market."
[......]
The man spoke again.
[New face. How the hell do you know the code?]
She went "oh crap" and slapped the helmet back on.
"......"
[......]
The silence stretched briefly.
Then the intercom man spoke in disbelief.
[No way... Mickey?]
Inside the inn.
Kyle, guided by a landline connected to the surface, spoke into the receiver.
"Yeah. Just arrived."
[Glad you made it safe.]
His call partner was the support team's Casey.
After a quick rundown of events, she sighed softly.
[So you're planning to hit the mine knight-bloodkin trade spot?]
"Looks like it."
With scant intel on Sector 23, rescuing captured demonkin there could yield big gains.
Casey repeated what she'd heard.
[Pale face, bowtie, fancy suit, right? The guy who sicced the doppelganger?]
"Yes. And he probably sticks to that outfit."
Dressed like that even in the lower ruins.
Likely tied to his profession.
[Professional vibe... Butler?]
"Seems he's called a 'Herald' or something."
[Herald?]
"Yeah."
'Though it's just from [Heavenly Vision]...'
He'd framed it as intel from interrogating the doppelganger.
"Also, over 180cm tall, eyes like bright red... apparently."
Casey sighed softly.
[Hmm... Got it. Vague, but I'll look into it.]
'Not expecting much.'
Better than nothing.
Kyle glanced at Mickey and Walter chatting with the broker at the bar.
"Surface holding up?"
[For now. But bad news: Investigation Bureau's top brass mostly in Marshall's pocket.]
She explained they'd plant a trusted mole inside via an internal contact—to uncover goals and members.
[Best way to know for sure.]
"Isn't that risky?"
[It is... but we gotta take risks now.]
"...If anything goes wrong, let me know. I'll help."
[Hehe. Hearing that makes me feel secure already.]
Kyle chuckled and asked,
"Tower side okay?"
[Yes. Descent victims recovering well. And Rebecca? Sharp kid, real talent for admin.]
"Good to hear."